Responding to Nancy Needham's March 20 article about homeowners' frustrations over handbills, dodgers and printed materials distribution, they aren't a public nuisance.

A public nuisance is somebody parking an RV in your driveway or in front of your house.

Advertising 101 or just plain common sense says these items you hate enough to write about apparently work. If people didn't respond to these coupons, information fliers and such, advertisers wouldn't spend the substantial cost to produce, buy ad space and distribute them.

The 32,848 community members who didn't choose to be exempt, I believe they either used the advertising pieces, weren't frustrated enough to write about it or found more important things to focus on.

Here's a suggestion you should have already tried: Be a good neighbor.

Go next door and introduce yourself. When you leave town for a few days or vacation, let your neighbors know how long you'll be gone.

Most neighbors won't mind picking up your mail, newspapers and any printed materials left on your property, if you ask them.

You do the same for them. If they do mind, then maybe you should consider moving. This solves the problem of letting the bad guys know you're gone.

Your neighbors should also know how to reach you or a close family member in case your house catches on fire or your water heater suddenly springs a leak while you're away.

They should know where your main water and gas shut-off valves are located. Request law enforcement and fire department support and encourage neighbors to help each other to protect themselves and their property.

It's called Neighborhood Watch. If you have such a program, use it. Contact your block captain and reveal that you'll be gone, so he or she can keep an eye on your property.

If you don't have a program, forget about the junk mail and put your effort into forming a Neighborhood Watch program that will help everybody.

The next time you leave for a few days, call your sheriff's department. They won't pick up your junk mail, but they'll drive by, making sure your home's contents aren't being loaded into a van.

Good luck. Scott McGregor Thousand Oaks